It followed a horrible performance in defeat to Premiership debutants Exeter last Saturday, and centre Tindall said: "We have to be upfront and honest with each other. Things have to be said. All around the field, we were forcing offloads not just by one player but by every player. Not taking that tap penalty under the sticks was not good enough."

He added: "That is not what we are about. If we are going to get better and perform better, we have to learn that.

"If it means that these two games give us a kick up the backside, then so be it. During the week in training is no problem. Handling-wise is very good and sometimes it seems we are turning up and complacency comes into it."

Head coach Bryan Redpath was equally scathing after a week in which he had made his views well and truly known to the Gloucester camp.

"There were too many handling errors again," he said. "Some of the players need to grow up and we are not growing up quickly enough. We were fortunate today and, for periods of the game, we were the better side. But Leeds will be aggrieved that they didn't win that game."

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